Dispensing container



July 3, 1951 E. B. DUELL ETL DISPENSING CONTAINER 'Filed April 14'. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 3,A 1951 E. B. DUELL Erm.. 2,559,287

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed April 14, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 I Il. .fl

. V l l ENTORS ATToRNEYs Patented July 3, 1951 msPENsING CONTAINER Edith B. Duell, Pittsburgh, and Anthony Breau, Philadelphia, Pa.; said Breau assigner to said Duell Application April 14, 1949, Serial No. 87,444

(Cl. 20G-42) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensing containers and more particularly to containers for successively releasing small articles of uniform size therefrom while the remaining articles are retained therein.

One of the pri-mary objects of our invention is to provide an improved dispensing container in which articles such as circular, flat or semiflat tablets or pellets and capsules may be placed helter-skelter, i. e., without prearrangement or special positioning and, as will later appear, in more than one layer deep, and from which they may be readily dispensed without crushing, whether they be in flatwise or edgewise position.

Another object of the invention has to do with its simplicity, ease of manufacture, and effectiveness of operation.

How the foregoing, together with such objects and advantages as will hereinafter appear, are realized is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a container constructed in accordancewith the invention, with a portion of the cover broken away and with a portion of the container shown in section as indicated by the line I I of Fig. 6;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the container with the cover in open position;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a cross section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure l;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 6 6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a plan view of another form of our invention With a portion of the cover broken away as in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a plan view with the cover in open position;

Figure 9 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 9 9 of Figure 8; and

Figure 10 is a cross section taken on the line I0 I0 of Figure 7.

Referring to Figures 1 to 6 inclusive, the device comprises a box or container II having a sliding cover I2, preferably made of light material such as plastic material. The container II is provided With longitudinally extending flanges I3 at its upper edges with which the rebent edges I4 of the cover engage for sliding movement. To assemble the device, the cover is placed on the container approximately in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3, and the sides the back of the box when in closed position.

Corner stiffening members or portions for the box are indicated at I1; these'also provide free flow of the contents and prevent backing or jamming.

The bottom wall of the box or container is provided with an upwardly extending projection or rib I8 adjacent the front wall and one side Wall thereof, which Vprojection acts as a guide and guard member for the articles to be dispensed. In this instance we have shown the articles in the form of disc-like tablets I9 Whose diameter is greater than their thickness. While we have only shown one layer of pellets partially filling the container and in more or less uniform order, it is to be understood that the container may be entirely filled and that the pellets may be placed heiter-skelter therein in indiscriminate relation in more than one layer without impairing the effectiveness of the device.

The cover I2 of the box is provided with a transverse depending flange or rake 2IJ adjacent its front edge. This flange extends substantially for the Width and the height of the box with clearance 2| at the sides and clearance 22 at the bottom. The cover is provided with a second depending flange or rib or baille 23, preferably of curved form, which extends rearwardly from the flange 20 to a point closely adjacent the side wall 24 of the box. This flange 23 includes a transverse portion 25 and a forwardly extending portion 26. The flange 23, like the flange 20, has its lower edge in close proximity to the bottom of the box.

f The transverse flange or baille 20 is provided with a notch or slot 2l positioned in alignment with the projection I8 of the box so that when the cover is moved to its open position as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the flange will clear the projection I 8. It is also pointed out that the width of the notch 2'I is slightly greater than the diameter of a pellet to allow free passage of the pellet therethrough, and the height of this notch is such that a pellet standing edgewise will pass therethrough in either direction.

The aange 23 is also notched at 2s, 29. for the 3 passage of the pellet, the portion 28 being of a depth to freely pass a pellet in atwise position and the portion 29 of a depth to freely pass a pellet in edgewise position.

Assuming now that the container is closed and it is desired to dispense a pellet, the container is first shaken gently to move a pellet toa position in which it Will gravity feed through the notched flange 23 to the dispensing position A as shown in Figure 1, in which position member I8 holds the pellet against lateral displacement,

and then the cover is moved to its open position in which the baffle portion 2'5 engages the stop or abutment 3i! on the projection I8 and the pellet assumes the position shown at B in Figure 2, where it is ready to be removed, by tilting the box. It will be seen that upon moving the cover to its open position all of the pellets in the container with the exception of the one indicated at A in Figure 1, are brushed or raked or moved back by the ange 20 and that the projection IB togetherl with the flange 20` prevent other pellets from leaving the'container.

Upon closing the cover, if a pellet is in position against the projection I8 as illustrated at C in Figure 2, this pellet will be moved to the dispensing position illustrated at A in Figure 1,-so that upon opening the cover this pellet would be dispensed.

With particular reference to the slots 21 and 29, it is to be noted that they are of a depth such thatl the distance from the bottom of the box to the bottom of these slots is somewhat greater than the diameter of a pellet so that pellets will freely pass therethrough when standing in edge` wise position. Thus our improved dispensing device will effectively dispense pellets'one at a; time,- either in atwise oredgewise position, thus'avoiding thev possibility of a pellet being crushed Vwhen in' standing position in the dispensing space. Thel pellets raked back will alsoY not be crushed.,

InI order to prevent any possibility of pelletsA being crushed at the dispensing space, we haveprovided ay lug 3| at the front wall of the box in line with the projection I8. This lug is stradl.

dled by the notch 2T in the ange I5 when the cover is closed as seen in Figures 1 and 6, and its thickness is such that the distance from its face t'o the front edge of the projection I8 is justY sufficient to receive a pellet. Thus, as may be clearly seen in Figure l, the pellet A whichr is in dispensing position is confined by the lug 33|-, the flange portion 26 and the frontV edgeof' the projection I8, and the next pellet D cannot even partially enter the dispensing passageway but gently brushed back out of the way when the cover is opened to dispense the pellet A. The' thickness of lug 3l should be such: that Vits face does not lie beyond the inner face of thev rake when the coverv is in closedposition. It also prevents jamming or locking. the pellet succeed-- ing the pellet to be dispensed.

Referring now` to the form of our invention illustrated in Figures 7 to l0 inclusive, the box H and cover I2 in general are of the same construction as above described and like reference characters are applied to like parts. However, in this instance the projection |80. is formed as a solid lug at the side wall of the box' andY provided with an abutment 39a for limiting the opening movement of the cover. The depending flange Elia is provided with a corner notch 21a. through which the pellet being dispensed passes.. the sizel of which is as describedabove in connection with the notch 27.

Extending rearwardly from the depending iiange 20a is a second depending flange 23d, which flange is notched at 29a, the distance from the flange 29h of the notch to the bottom of the box Il being slightly greater than the diameter of a pellet so that a pellet standing in edgewise position can freely pass through to the dispensing corner of the box. The flange 23Min this instance only, extends down to the top of the projection 18a. A lug 3th is provided on the ange 23a for engaging the abutment 39a to limit the opening movement of the cover I2. When the cover ismoved to its open position the depending flange 20w and the projection IBa cooperate to gently push the pellets remaining in the box away from the dispensing passage, irrespective of whether the pellet to be dispensed is in at or edgewise position.

It is to be observed that if after a pellet has been moved to its dispensing position (whether edgewiseV or flat) it should be decided not toremove the pellet, it' can be readily returned into the box by merelyv closing the cover. It will* be observed that in both forms, thev stop is located in a shielded area and thus does not interfere with free flow of the pellets.

'If the container be made of a material such as a plastic, the box can be molded as an integral unit. and similarly with the cover.

While the pellets in the drawing are in the iorm'` ofi discs, the invention is not limited thereto, and.

many other forms of article which willv not ofv itselfjam with others, may be dispensed.

As to the depth of' the box, it should bel just enough greater than the combined thickness ofY any possible disposition of the pellets so as to prevent locking and' to prevent crushing and to permit free fiowv of the pellets'.

We claim:

1. A dispensing container for small disc-like articles and. similar' articles having` a diameter greater than their-thickness, of the type; employingY av sliding cover with a projecting flange near one edge of said cover cooperating with a projection in the box spaced lfrom one end' to push all but one of thearticles into a closed portion and leaving only said one article in the said space between said projection and the end of the container, including a guide member carried byV said cover cooperating with the projection in the box to guide said one article to: said space, said guide member having a stepped' notch, one step of which enables an article to pass to said space inA flatwi'se position andthe other step of which enables an article toy pass to said space in edgewise position, and said flange having a notch the dimension: of which in width and depth is slightly greater than the diameter of an article to enable said article to pass to said space when in either of said positions.

2'. A dispensing container having a sliding cover, a transverse flange depending fromsaid cover, an upwardly extending guide member in said container spaced from an end thereof, a second iiange depending from said cover and extending rearwardly from said rst mentioned flange, said rst mentioned ange having a notch to clear said guide member when the cover is moved to open position, said notch in width and depth being of dimensions slightly greater than the diameter of an article to enable an article positioned either edgewise or flatwise to pass therethrough, andv said second flange having a .stepped notch to provide a passage, when the cover is closed, for an article to be dispensed when either in edgewise or flatwise position.

3. A dispensing container having a sliding cover, a transverse ange depending from said cover, a second flange depending from said cover and extending rearwardly from said first mentioned ange, an upwardly extending guide member in said container spaced from an end thereof, said rst mentioned flange having a notch of dimensions to clear said guide member and an article to be dispensed in either edgewise or atwise position when the cover is moved to open position, and said second mentioned flange having a stepped notch of dimensions to enable an article which is to be dispensed to pass in either edgewise or flatwise position to the aforementioned space in front of said guide means when said cover is in closed position.

4. A dispensing container having a sliding cover, a transverse ange depending from said cover, a second flange depending from said cover and extending rearwardly from said rst mentioned ange, an upwardly extending guide member in said container spaced from an end thereof, said first mentioned ange having a notch of dimensions to clear said guide member and an article to be dispensed in either edgewise or fiatwise position when the cover is moved to open position, and said second mentioned flange having a stepped notch of dimensions to enable an article which is to be dispensed to pass in either edgewise or flatwise position to the aforementioned space in front of said guide means when said cover is in closed position, a stop member carried by said second mentioned flange, and an abutment positioned in said container in spaced relation to said stop member to be engageable thereby when the cover is moved to open position.

5. A dispenser comprising a box having an upwardly extending projection to one side thereof and spaced from one end thereof to provide a dispensing space, a sliding cover mounted upon said box adapted to be moved from a closed position to an open position to expose said dispensing space, a depending flange carried by said cover notched to clear said projection and an article to be dispensed when the cover is moved to open position, a depending member carried by said cover in spaced relation to said depending flange and overlying said projection and cooperating therewith to define said dispensing space when the cover is in closed position, a stop member carried by said depending member, and an abutment carried by said projection engageable by said stop member to limit the opening movement of said cover.

6. A dispensing container for small articles and similar articles having a diameter greater than their thickness, a sliding cover for said container, a transverse iiange depending from said cover, an upwardly extending guide member in said container spaced from an end thereof to provide an article dispensing space, a second ange depending from said cover and extending rearwardly from said rst mentioned flange, said rst mentioned flange having a notch dimensoned to clear saidguide member and an article positioned flatwise or edgewise in said dispensing space when the cover is moved to open position, and said second iiange having a stepped notch dimensioned to enable an article in edgewise position to pass into said dispensing space through one step of the notch, and in flatwise position to pass into said dispensing space through the other step of the notch when the cover is in closed position.

7. A dispensing container having a sliding cover, a transverse flange depending from said cover into close proximity with the bottom of the container, an upwardly extending guide member in said container spaced from an end and a side thereof, a second flange extending rearwardly from said rst ilange and depending from said cover into close proximity with the bottom of the container housing said guide member when the cover is closed, said second flange having a notch enabling an article to be dispensed to pass to the space in front of said guide member when the cover is closed, and said first flange having a notch for clearing said projection and an article positioned in front thereof when the cover is moved to open position.

8. A dispensing container having a sliding cover, a transverse flange depending from said cover into close proximity with the bottom of the container, an upwardly extending guide member in said container spaced from an end and a side thereof, a second ilange extending rearwardly from said first flange and depending from said cover into close proximity with the bottom of the container housing said guide member when the cover is closed, said second ilange having a notch enabling an article to be dispensed to pass to the space in front of said guide member when the cover is closed, and said first ange having a notch for clearing said projection and an article positioned in front thereof when the cover is moved to open position, together with an abutment carried by said projection and a stop member carried by said cover engageable with said abutment to limit opening movement of the cover.

EDITH B. DUELL. ANTHONY BREAU.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Duell July 18, 1944 

